grogs4blogs

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

My sister checked in with me the other day and was interested in my opinion of indoor electric grills. I told her I was not a fan of electric grills because they just don't get hot enough for grilling and, because of how they are constructed, they tend not to heat evenly.

450ºF is about the best you are going to get out of an electric grill. To properly sear meat, you should always shoot for north of 550ºF. And that's pretty simple to do if you have the right tools. As in cast iron pans.

If you have a gas stove, I recommend you get a Lodge cast iron grill pan. It costs $45 and at 20 inches by 10.44 inches, it fits perfectly across 2 burners. With two burners firing up the cast iron, you will have no problem getting north of 550º to put a fabulous sear on your steak.

If you have an electric stove top, you'll have to make two purchases...but that can be done for less than $80. Again, the answer is a Lodge cast iron grill pan. But this is a 10.5 inch square pan. Cast iron is legendary for it's ability to retain heat and there is no drop in temperature when you put meat in it. But because your electric stovetop cannot get you north of 550ºF, you'll have to make an additional purchase.

Pictured above is a Nuwave induction cooktop. It creates high heat thanks to it's magnetic heating element. It requires that your cookware be magnetic as well, which fortunately cast iron is. This induction cook plate sells for $69 and is capable of heating the Lodge grill pan up to 575ºF.

If you're like me, there's no way I'm going out on my deck to grill during Minnesota winters. But it's a breeze to grill indoors if you have the right tools. And those tools don't cost much. All the items I have shown here are available at Amazon.com. And if you're going to grill indoors, I have two tips that will guarantee you a great grilling session. First, always bring the meat to room temperature before grilling. Second, you want to put a nice coating of oil on the meat...not in the pan.

About Me

My mother disliked cooking. Her greatest food moment came when Pop Tarts were introduced. Pop Tarts meant that an entire meal, breakfast, could be cooked in a toaster. Her mother, Goldie Dunleavy, loved to cook. Goldie and Frank (her private eye husband and renowned butter aficianado) lived in a small apartment by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Goldie's kitchen was 10' X 4'. But the artistry of what she could do with that tiny kitchen and that tiny stove is beyond words. My earliest memories are of her baking me date cookies from scratch. From scratch! Toss together flour, butter, eggs and dates and heaven emerges from the oven. And the Thanksgiving feast that would come forth from that 40 square feet defied description. The fact that we had to eat that feast in an apartment that was kept at 82 degrees is another story. But because of Goldie, I developed a lifelong love of cooking and a steadfast commitment to never let the thermostat get higher than 68 degrees. Grab a sweater, kids, and come enjoy your delicious dinner!